The Story of Qiu Ju

1992. China. Directed by Zhang Yimou. With Li Gong, Peiqi Liu, Liuchun Yang. While many of Zhang Yimou’s lavish allegorical films were censored, this remarkable foray into realism was screened and celebrated in his homeland. With longtime muse Gong Li as a peasant woman seeking justice for her husband’s injury, Zhang used hidden cameras and long takes to capture a sense of everyday life in both the countryside and the city. The film suggests that the concern for realism among China’s independent documentaries and features could also be found in official state productions. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. In Mandarin; English subtitles. 110 min.

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